“That’s not what I meant.” His fingers wrapped around my wrist to pull it away from his chest. The gentleness with which he did it crushed me. Was he turning me down? With as hard as he’d tried in the beginning and the way he seemed to enjoy spending time with me, it was hard to fathom he might not want it as much as I did. I refused to believe that. Something else had to be going on.
Finally, he looked up at me, our eyes locking in some sort of nonverbal showdown. I tried to read whatever he had going through his head. He definitely had desire sparkling within those beautiful brown orbs, but why he’d stopped wasn’t clear. At first. And then it felt like a slap to the face. It was me.
“O…oh…ok.” I stammered past the humiliation. “You mean you can’t do it with me. Got it.”
“Bianca—”
“No, no. It’s ok. My shirt.” My hand flung out, waiting. He didn’t move. “My shirt,” I said again through clenched teeth. The need to cover myself took over everything else.
He bent over grabbing the once cute tank, now forever tainted by this memory, then reluctantly handed it over. I yanked it back over my head so fast I thought it might rip. Hopping off the counter I hit the floor with the resounding sound of my feet slapping against the wood before he could say anything else.
“Bianca, it isn’t you.”
I snorted. Our somewhat limited time together culminated in a cliché? I had seriously miscalculated well…everything.
“Don’t worry about it, Gio. I have to work early anyway.” I edged closer to the door, putting some distance between us made it easier not to look him in the eye as well as helped me keep my voice steady. The last thing I wanted was for a crack in my voice or waiver in my words to make me cry. The dipshit made me like him whether I wanted to or not. He went out of his way to date me. Him being nice and attentive; everything you’d want in a potential boyfriend for it to end like this confused me. Instead, I focused on pushing my feet into a pair of flip-flops. “So, yeah…see ya around, I guess. Bye.” The door shut behind me with a final sobering click.
Down the block, I realized I’d just left my own apartment. I’d been focused on ending the embarrassing encounter that I forgot where I was. Nice way to show what a spaz I am. I couldn’t go back. I had no idea how long he’d stay in there, waiting for me to return but I didn’t want to face him.
How humiliating. It’s not like I’d never had a sexual encounter go south before. My embarrassment came because I hadn’t seen it coming. I thought Gio liked me and was as into it as I was. Apparently, my mad skills when it came to relationships weren’t as mad anymore. I guess it’s true what they say ‘use it or lose it’ because I hadn’t been using anything, including my knack for reading guys, and I’d lost it.
I passed the diner and several of the kitschy tourist shops that lined Main Street, no idea where I was going until I realized I’d unwittingly made a beeline for Bailey’s. I hoped she’d made it home by now.
My best female friend from Harbor Point, Bailey Baker rubbed sleep from her eyes as she opened the door, surprised replaced sleepiness. I stared at her through tears.
“What the hell, girl? Get in here.” She reached out yanking me through the door.
“Hey Bail,” I smiled at the nickname I’d given her.
“I was coming in to see you tomorrow. I just got back a few hours ago.” She pulled me onto the couch, running her fingers through the short crop of blond hair, many shades lighter than her natural color also now streaked with red. Last time I’d seen her it had been blue but I think there’d been another color in between. She’d been changing the color of her hair since high school. I’m not sure she remembered her natural color but I knew it was red. She was the only redhead I’d ever known who didn’t want to be.
“How was it?” I asked. She didn’t buy my question, giving me a look that said we weren’t talking about Europe. Bailey knew me far too well.
I met Bailey in high school. Being the only girl around my age who also hung out with Nick in a non-romantic way, we clicked immediately. Neither of us bought into the ‘norms’ people tried to put on girls. We didn’t mind getting dirty, in all senses of the word. We’d gotten incredibly close so quickly we even went away to college together. I left the details up to her because she was a force to be reckoned with but we were able to share a dorm room for all four years. Then, because her parents had a lot of money, she spent the last month traveling and had been almost everywhere while I came to work with Gramps. I’d get random postcards from places I’d never heard of. She’d wanted me to go with her and I would have but it wasn’t possible. That wasn’t my life even if she offered to pay for everything.
“You did not come over at this time of the night, not even knowing whether I would be home, to talk about Europe. What gives?” The burn of her perceptive blue eyes pushed me to the truth. But that’s what I came for after all.
Instead of beating around the bush, I took a deep breath and put it out there. Everything about Gio, even how much I liked him, all the way to our encounter in my kitchen. With her, I never left any details out. Trying would be pointless anyway and that’s how our friendship worked. “Clearly I no longer have any understanding of the human male.”
“They are the most confusing of species,” she said, “but it sounds like he really likes you.”
“Liked, obviously. What guy turns down sex if he’s into the girl?”
“Sometimes ones who like you.” She shrugged at my disbelief. It didn’t make any sense.
I threw my hand up to get her to stop talking. I didn’t want to deal with whatever the hell point she was trying to make. “Can I stay here? I don’t know when he’ll be gone.”
“Pshhh. You don’t even have to ask.”
She hopped up then came back with a sheet and blanket setting up the couch for me. Both of us remained silent. Settling in was easy
“Good night, Bianca,” she said, as she stepped through the door to her bedroom.
“Night.” I allowed the quiet dark to overtake me.
Chapter Seven
Waking before the sun is all the way up is usually against my religion. Maybe not religion but definitely against all the rules by which I lived. Yet sleeping on Bailey’s couch, no matter how comfortable, wasn’t ideal and I did have to be into work a little early to do some paperwork. Deciding whether to get up or go back to sleep didn’t take long because if I allowed myself a little more time, it’d turn into a lot more time and then I’d be late again.
As I walked home, I took a deep breath of fresh air in and blew it out slowly, the smell of the water and sun helping to calm me. A little. It helped a little. In another week things would be crazy 24/7 and finding a small slice of solitude would be difficult for sure. I crossed then uncrossed my arms in sync with my steps then shook my head and bit my lips together at the memory of last night. Turning the corner on my block I realized that not only had I run out without my purse but also without my keys. Great. If Gio locked up before he left I’d be forced to bother Gramps for a spare key. But then I’d have to explain why I didn’t have mine. I’d have to lie and I hated lying to him even about the small stuff.
Luckily, Gio must have noticed my keys in the small bowl next to the front door where I usually dropped them because when I tried the knob, it turned. My eyes roamed over every corner of the apartment looking for the tiniest detail out of place. He finished the dishes before he left. We’d gotten some of them done but there had still been a bunch waiting. Wasn’t sure if I should hate him for that. The fact he could stand to hang around and clean up after I tore out of the apartment or if he’d been busying himself waiting for me to come back. I didn’t know. And I didn’t know if I wanted to.
But that was it. He left no other sign that a man had been in my apartment recently, or ever. Life as a spinster started looking more and more likely every day.
I corrected my mood (mostly) by standing in the shower under hot water until it turned cold. With my hair dried quickl
y and dressed in simple khaki shorts and a t-shirt, I headed out for work. I couldn’t allow what happened with Gio to dictate my day.
Since I got in first, I did everything required for opening then tucked myself away in the office to do the weeks of paperwork I’d put off since spending most of my time with Gio.
The sound of employees coming in to start their day filtered through to the office. I tensed at the sound of Gio and Joe talking as they walked by on their way to the kitchen. I tried to ignore the clench in my stomach as Gio’s voice got closer.
I kept myself busy until customer voices overtook the familiar ones. Pushing away from the desk, I shoved my arms into the air and arched my back into a nice, deep stretched. My knuckles cracked and I groaned at just how good it felt but I ignored all protesting from muscles and limbs to pull my hair into a messy bun, don an apron and get to work. The window had already opened and a line of customers already waited.
I consciously chose the order station on the far side of the kitchen window, not wanting to see Gio and not wanting him to see me. However, once the lunch slam started, I couldn’t give it much thought and had to use any available station. Standing there, tapping away at the screen to ring someone up, I couldn’t help myself. Giving in to morbid curiosity, I glanced up.
Gio tossed a crust in the air to the delight of several young females on the outside of the glass window overlooking the beach. Gio glanced away from the window, his gaze falling directly on me. My face flushed and my breath got caught in my throat. I’d looked too long. He did a double take and we locked on each other like heat-seeking missiles. The dude was fast, though. In the amount of time it took me to turn away and take two steps, he, in all his flour-covered glory, stood right beside me in the dining room.
“Morning,” he said quietly against my ear.
“You need to get back to work.” I snapped but his hand stopped me before I could get away. “Let go.”
“Bianca, I just want the chance to explain.” He leaned in closer. “Please.”
Even though the decision had been made without my knowledge, I found myself nodding. I wanted to hear his explanation, at least I thought I did. Depending on what he actually said, I might have been better off passing. “Later.”
Now that I knew Gio was in my future, the day dragged by as I wondered what he could say to any of this feel any better. I hated that I didn’t hate him or at least not want to see him for a while, but he’d already burrowed under my skin and even if he hadn’t I really, really wanted to hear what kind of excuse he had for me. The only refuge I had from the monotony came when Bailey stopped in.
“I want a small with pineapple and ham,” Bailey said without looking at the menu.
“You got it,” I said scribbling the order on my pad.
“Oh.” She grabbed my arm as I walked away. “I’ll also take one quick peek into the kitchen.” Her wide smile held too much hope and way too much mischief.
“Uh. No. Sorry. No customers allowed back there. It’s not safe.”
I slid her hand off my arm then walked as quickly as I could to the nearest computer to put the order in.
“But I want to say hi to Joe,” she called out.
I smiled but shook my head at her. It wasn’t Joe she wanted to see in there.
I got to ignore her for a few minutes when two of my other orders came up. I grabbed those, delivered them to their tables then went back and found Bailey’s pizza waiting.
“But I need to see this idiot who missed a chance to be with you, Bianca,” Bailey insisted as I put her pizza on the stand at her table.
“I’m sure you will but just…ugh…don’t be you about it. You’ll see him. I promise.”
I sat at Bailey’s table and slid a slice of pizza onto the extra plate I brought myself. Instead of the peek she wanted, she got the full picture when he came up behind me not long after I sat down.
“When are you taking a break?” he asked quietly like whatever he said was top secret and he didn’t want anyone but me to hear it.
“Right now. Which is why I’m talking to my friend instead of taking orders.”
“Bailey Baker,” she said stretching her hand out to him.
He took it in his, pumped it once then dropped it quickly. She had my back in all situations and I had hers which meant she wouldn’t want Gio to get too comfortable with her around.
“So, what are your intentions toward the best thing you could possibly want?”
“Bailey!”
“Well, that’s what I want to talk to her about.”
“Go ahead.” She swept her hands toward me. “We’re all friends here.”
Gio gave his great smile with an honest laugh which made my knees weak. Good thing I’d already sat down. When he realized Bailey wasn’t going anywhere, he sighed. Gio squatted next to me causing me to look down at him.
“I like you.” He looked at me like I was the only person in the place. “I’m not used to it.”
Not the answer I expected and what the hell did it mean, anyway? If he wasn’t used to liking someone, how intimate had he ever been? Clearly, he knew his way around a woman’s body but had nothing to do with intimacy. We’d never talked about previous relationships with the exception of my involvement with Nick. Other than my own assumptions about what he could do sexually, I knew nothing about that part of his life.
“Gio, have you ever spent the night with someone?” I asked not thinking about how it would sound and if the quirk of his eyebrow along with the smirk on his face said anything, he thought it sounded the same way, too. “I’m not asking if you’re a virgin, Gio. Just if you’ve ever spent the night without the other stuff.”
Bailey and I watched, completely intrigued, as he came up with his answer. It took some effort for him to speak.
“No.”
“Well, that’s unexpected,” Bailey said watching him intently.
“I’d say so,” I agreed.
He’d never experienced the intimacy of a relationship or at least not one that included sleeping all night with someone. What kind of world were we living in? Or better yet, what kind of world had he lived in? It was yet another layer to the mystery of Gio.
He glanced from me to her then back, his face turned into a deep frown. He shifted his weight then rolled his neck. Something I hadn’t seen him do before.
“Please, Bianca. I really would like to talk. Try to explain. I fucked up and I know it. I just want another chance to get it right. Or at least make sure you know it had nothing to do with you.”
But I couldn’t think about what he wanted. I needed to think about what I wanted.
What did I want?
Last night I would have said him. That was still true on some levels but could I trust him not to run out on me like that again? I wasn’t sure. Did I want to take the chance? Was Gio potentially worth being humiliated again?
I think he might be.
“Ok, Bailey and I are meeting Nick at Bill’s tonight. But tomorrow, I don’t work. You can come by when you get out and we’ll talk. If I like what you have to say…you can stay.”
The biggest, cheesiest grin spread across his face.
“We’ll talk. If I don’t like what you have to say then it’s done. Back to whatever we were before, got it?”
“Talking’s good.” He rose to his feet, but turned and kissed my temple before going into the kitchen.
“You whore,” Bailey said as soon as.
“What?” I laughed at the look on her face, all narrow-eyed and scrunched up nose.
“You wretched wench. You did not tell me about the tattoos.”
“Didn’t think about it.” I shrugged. I did think about them. A lot. The conversations I had with Bailey in the last twenty-four hours weren’t happy ones and it didn’t include a description of Gio at all.
“You know I’m a sucker for tattoos.”
She was. If a dude had some nice tattoos, he had Bailey’s attention. She found them orgasmic, she said. The
n again, Bailey’s such a weirdo in the best possible ways, nothing surprised me anymore.
“Yeah, but you’re not supposed to be a sucker for Gio.” Boyfriend stealing had never been something we struggled with, I wasn’t actually concerned.
Bailey giggled and shook her head.
Meeting at Bill’s Bar brought great memories with it. The place was like a second home for us. Nick, Bailey and I spent a lot of our time there honing our pool skills.
Laughing more than shooting, the three of us were already one beer in when the place started to fill up. Gio included. At first, he stood talking to Joe near the bar in blue jeans hugging his hips and a white shirt. I knew Gramps had decided to put all the newbies on for the night as a trial run for what it would be like for them when the season started. Yet I still hadn’t expected to see Gio. We hadn’t talked yet. Nothing had been resolved. But there he was. When I looked over my shoulder once more, he was coming toward us.
“Room for one more?” he asked us at the pool table we’d claimed.
“If they look like you we sure do.” Bailey smiled and batted her eyes—smooth as ever. “Otherwise we just have him,” her thumb jutted over at Nick, “to look at. How disappointing.”
“Yeah, that’s not the tune you used to sing,” Nick countered.
“Uh, don’t remind me. If only I’d known Bianca had ya first. The whole thing could’ve been avoided.” As they went back and forth, nothing new, my face heated up. These were not things Gio needed to hear or know and he didn’t seem to be enjoying it either.
“Uh, Nick was once the village bicycle,” I said trying to lighten the look on Gio’s face.
“Yup,” Nick piped in. “Nick Scherzer…deflowering girls since 2006.”
Bailey and I groaned before swatting both his arms. “Don’t be a douche,” Bailey added a whack to the back of his head.
“Listen, Hay Bale,” he started but stopped himself when he caught the look on her face. I could call her by the nickname, but no one else could. Certainly not Nick since he’s the one who’d helped her earn it.
Love by the Slice (Harbor Point Book 1) Page 6
